To help strengthen resilience against climate-related hazards, the Province is providing funding to the City of Merritt for a pair of projects to strengthen flood-risk assessment and mitigation in the community.

A vital transportation artery in Merritt that was heavily damaged by floodwaters will be rebuilt to a higher standard to make it more resilient to future flooding events and be safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

To help reduce flood risk, the Province is providing Merritt with $329,000 for a project to update flood-hazard mapping and develop new flood-mitigation plans.

The public is being asked to prepare for localized flooding as water levels in Nicola Lake and river rise due to increased snowmelt and higher than normal rain levels throughout April.

It is anticipated that the heavy rainfall experienced over the past 48 hours will cause the streamflow in creeks and rivers feeding Nicola Lake to increase and remain high for at least another two weeks.

The public is asked to exercise caution, and prepare for localized flooding as water levels in Nicola Lake, the Nicola River and surrounding streams increase due to rapid snowmelt and recent high temperatures.